Flying Home exists to honor the Black American roots of Lindy Hop. This year we’re proud to welcome two dancers who have spent their lives carrying that legacy: David “Butts” Carne and Debra Youngblood.
David “Butts” Carne
David learned Lindy Hop in Harlem in the 1950s, studying under Mama Lu Parks and learning from Savoy Ballroom veterans including George Sullivan and Delma “Big Nick” Nicholson. He won the Harvest Moon Ball in 1962 and danced alongside James Brown in Zaire in 1974.
For context, the Harvest Moon Ball ran from 1935 to 1980 and was the biggest of New York’s amateur dance contests, and Harlem dancers dominated its Lindy category.
Debra Youngblood
As a child, Debra was so ill she wasn’t expected to recover or walk again. She went on to win the Harvest Moon Ball, become a featured dancer with Mama Lu Parks’ Savoy Lindy Hoppers, and make her name as an air-step dancer. She has shared the stage with James Brown and Lionel Hampton.
Carrying the torch together
Debra and David co-led the Mama Lu Parks Dance Troupe and developed their signature move, “Down the Back.” Mama Lu Parks was one of the people who kept Lindy Hop alive in the years between the swing era and the modern revival, which makes David and Debra a direct link between the Savoy and today’s dance floors. You can see both of them, along with the Mama Lu Parks Dancers, in the 1988 documentary The Call of the Jitterbug.
Come say hello
David and Debra are giving two lunch talks at CCC:
Saturday, 1 PM: “How Their Partnership Began”
Sunday, 1:15 PM: “What’s Old is Now New”
Come to the talks, and keep an eye out for them around the weekend. Introduce yourself, say thank you, and ask a question or two. And be mindful of their time and energy. It’s a long weekend for everyone.
Questions to get the conversation started
What was it like learning from Mama Lu Parks?
What do you remember about the Savoy dancers who taught you, like George Sullivan and Big Nick?
What was the Harvest Moon Ball like from the competitors’ side?
How did “Down the Back” come together?
What was it like dancing with James Brown?
How has the dance changed since you learned it? What’s stayed the same?
What music do you love dancing to most?
What do you hope today’s dancers understand about where Lindy Hop comes from?
We’re grateful to have them with us. Come listen, come ask questions, and come dance.